Many mobile machines are powered by an internal combustion engine, for example a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, or a gaseous-fuel powered engine. Each of these engines combusts a mixture of fuel and air to generate a mechanical power output used to propel the machine. To ensure optimum combustion of the fuel/air mixture and to protect components of the engine from damaging extremes, temperatures of the engine and air drawn into the engine for combustion should be tightly controlled.
Typical internal combustion engines are cooled by way of one or more heat exchangers and an axial cooling fan disposed adjacent (e.g., in front of or behind) the heat exchangers. Coolants from the engine are circulated through the heat exchangers, while the axial cooling fan directs a flow of fresh air through the heat exchangers to absorb heat from the coolants. The coolants, having dissipated heat to the air, are then circulated back through the engine to cool the engine. The air, after having absorbed heat from the heat exchangers, is subsequently directed to the atmosphere.
A heat exchanger is typically mounted on a machine frame. During machine operation, the heat exchangers can experience large vibrational forces, for example, due to bumps in a road on which the machine travels. Because of the size and weight of some heat exchangers, these vibrational forces can cause movement (e.g., flexing) in some sections of the heat exchanger, which can lead to cracking, leakage, and/or failure of the heat exchanger. To reduce the flexing and/or other movements of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger may be equipped with a support assembly to secure the heat exchanger during machine operation.
An exemplary support assembly for a heat exchanger is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0264039 A1 to Kis et al. that published on Oct. 10, 2013 (the '039 publication). Specifically, the '039 publication describes a heat exchanger assembly including a plurality of core units and an intermediate tank joined to the plurality of core units. The heat exchanger assembly also includes a structural frame having two opposing end channels and two opposing side channels. The structural frame also includes a center rail extending between the side channels, and two cross bars extending diagonally between the end channels. The center rail and the cross bars help to strengthen the heat exchanger assembly and secure the core units within the heat exchanger assembly.
Although the heat exchanger assembly of the '039 publication may be adequate for some applications, it may still be less than optimal. In particular, the center rail and the cross bars of the '039 publication can restrict air flow that is drawn through the heat exchanger assembly, thereby reducing an efficiency of the heat exchanger. In addition, the structural frame of the '039 publication can also experience large vibrational forces. Without any additional support for the structural frame, these vibrational forces can cause damage to one or more components of the heat exchanger.
The disclosed support assembly is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.